emu bay sea breeze kangaroo island accommodation

Kangaroo Island

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Kangaroo Island is 145km long and almost 60 kilometers wide with area of more than 4,000 square kilometres. It is Australia's third largest island with about 500 kilometers of coastline. The highest elevations are on the north coast plateau reaching 307 meters above sea level, not far from Emu Bay.

More than half of the island has never been cleared of vegetation. About one third is conserved in National and Conservation Parks, including five Wilderness Protection Areas.

Because of its isolation from mainland Australia, foxes and rabbits are absent on the island. The Kangaroo Island Kangaroo, Tammar Wallaby, Brush-tail Possum, Short Beaked Echidna, New Zealand Fur Seal, Australian Sea Lion and Little or Fairy Penguin are native on the island. The Koala, Ring-tail Possum and Platypus have been introduced and still survive here. White bellied sea eagles can sometimes be seen at Emu Bay, with wedge tailed eagles occasionally sighted inland.

It is a very popular destination for tourists wishing to spend between a few days and a week or more. Popular sites are:

• Seal Bay with ranger guided walks among basking Australian sea lions
• Flinders Chase National Park with the lighthouses at Cape Borda and Cape du Couedic and the koalas at the nearby Hanson Bay Sanctuary
• Remarkable Rocks
• Cape Willoughby and the Devil's Kitchen
• Kelly Hill Caves with guided tours of a portion of the large limestone cave system
• Little Sahara, huge sand dunes on the south coast the island

For quarantine reasons it is prohibited to bring honey products and bee-handling equipment to the island. Potatoes brought to the island must be in new packaging and vine cuttings and soil in which grapevines have grown are not to be brought without prior inspection. Rabbits are not permitted on the island, and pet cats must be registered with the Kangaroo Island Council.

Kangaroo Island is accessible by Kangaroo Island Sealink vehicle and passenger ferry or air, flying Regional Express Airlines or Air South.